Chapter 11

Wan Bao unexpectedly slept quite soundly this night.

Perhaps it was because it was his first time dining at such an expensive
restaurant, so he was busy eating and drinking the whole time, or perhaps it
was because he was the only one who truly got drunk.

He woke up at dawn, and after sitting up in bed, he was momentarily dazed.
His initial reaction was: Could this be a dream?

After all, being called to dinner and receiving a two million investment
without saying more than a few words throughout the meal sounded more like a
wild fantasy fueled by his money-driven imagination.

But now, with Sheng Quan as his big financial backer, he wouldn’t be
obsessing over money anymore!

Having slept through the night in a drunken stupor, Wan Bao was still
feeling a bit groggy as he pondered life. The assistant director outside the
door caught sight of him sitting up through the window and immediately rushed
in, bursting with excitement:

“You’re finally awake! You managed to pull in another two million
investment last night! How did you do it?! What did you do to make someone
willing to invest two million in us?”

With his assistant director’s shout, Wan Bao instantly woke up: “Ah!
Right! Mr. Wang really invested two million in us!”

“How could it be fake? After you came back last night, you insisted on
waking each of us up to show us the contract. If I hadn’t stopped you, you
would have gone straight to the foot of the mountain to show it to Big Yellow.
I didn’t even know you had such a deep relationship with it.”

That’s right, Big Yellow was a dog kept by a family at the foot of the
mountain.

In the drama “The Road of Life,” there was a role for a dog, and
the crew had borrowed Big Yellow for a few days of filming.

Wan Bao was shocked: “So I didn’t do anything outrageous last night,
did I?”

The assistant director looked miserable: “Actually, not really, just
that you insisted on shouting ‘Sheng Quan, I love you’ and couldn’t even cover
your mouth. I saw the producer’s face turn black, so I quickly dragged you back
inside to calm down.”

“W…I shouted ‘I love you’ to Sheng Quan??” Wan Bao was taken
aback.

The assistant director adjusted his tone, trying to sound comforting:
“Well, Sheng Quan is a good person and good-looking too. It’s normal to
like her, but… everyone has their own preferences. You know, Sheng Quan likes
good-looking people. We’ve been friends for so many years, objectively
speaking, you’re probably not her type. Of course, it’s not to say you’re not
good-looking, just a bit… plain.”

“Oh, so how did you manage to pull in that investment?”

Wan Bao looked bewildered: “Sheng Quan just asked me to dinner, and
there was this Mr. Wang at the table who wanted to befriend Sheng Quan. He said
he wanted to invest in the projects Sheng Quan invests in, so he invested in
ours.”

The assistant director: “…”

Wan Bao: “What are you thinking now?”

Assistant director: “I want to say ‘I love you’ to Sheng Quan.”

The two who were eager to express their love to Sheng Quan didn’t get the
chance because Mr. Wang, sobering up, immediately came to the film crew,
ostensibly for a visit.

He did buy a bunch of food and drinks to be delivered, but from the moment
he arrived at the mountain, Mr. Wang had been following Sheng Quan around,
openly or subtly flattering her.

Experience really does count for something. At least Mr. Wang’s skills in
flattery were quite advanced, and he didn’t care about putting on airs in front
of big bosses; he continued to praise Sheng Quan in front of everyone.

The male lead, Zhou Zhi, was quite surprised: “How come he’s better at
flattering than me? I’ve seen Sheng Quan laugh because of him several
times.”

The female lead, Lin Aike, couldn’t help but comment bitterly, “If this
Mr. Wang were a few decades younger, we wouldn’t stand a chance.”

Before this, during lunchtime, Sheng Quan used to sit with her, and if Lin
Aike didn’t have scenes in the afternoon, they would chat together and share
various gossip and beauty secrets.

Because both of them were girls, Zhou Zhi and Wang Zheng didn’t receive the
same treatment.

Now, Sheng Quan’s attention was entirely drawn to this Mr. Wang, and Lin
Aike felt sour to the core.

Zhou Zhi was also quite puzzled: “Who is he exactly, and where did he
come from?”

While they didn’t know Mr. Wang, they were very familiar with Yushuo Media.
It was a big company, at least quite prestigious and influential in the
entertainment industry.

The person who had been relentlessly flattering Sheng Quan turned out to be
a shareholder of Yushuo Media?

And a ten percent shareholder at that?

Zhou Zhi’s jaw was about to drop to the ground: “Are you sure? Is it
true?”

“I’m very sure.” Wang Zheng said, “Don’t you remember? I work
for Yushuo Media, and Mr. Wang’s name is similar to mine, so I remember him very
clearly, it’s him.”

Lin Aike also looked surprised, but she quickly reacted: “If this Mr.
Wang is really the one you said, then Sheng Quan, who’s being so flattered by
him, must be really amazing…”

Zhou Zhi stood up suddenly, startling the two who were squatting on the
side: “What are you doing?”

Zhou Zhi said seriously, “I’m going to work out.”

Wang Zheng was puzzled, “But didn’t you say you were too tired in the
morning, and if you didn’t have any scenes in the afternoon, you were going to
take a good nap?”

Zhou Zhi said sternly, “I’m an actor. It’s essential to work out. How
can I skip it just because I’m tired?”

Lin Aike saw through him at a glance, “Listen to him boast. Sheng Quan
praised his good figure last time, and he looked pleasing to the eye, so he
definitely wants to train even better to please Sheng Quan.”

The three of them hadn’t been in the industry for long, their personas
didn’t conflict with each other, there was no competition, and the only
‘senior’, Lin Aike, had a lively personality. They had also experienced the
difficulties of the crew almost shutting down together, so they could be
considered true friends with friendship. They could say anything to each other.

Sure enough, Zhou Zhi was quite calm: “You make it sound like you’re
any different. You grab any chance to read novels, just to have more topics in
common with Sheng Quan.”

Lin Aike took out her phone, “Right, you reminded me. I’ll continue
reading now. Tonight, I’ll go down the mountain with Sheng Quan to do spa, can
you two come?”

Wang Zheng was a little confused by the three’s actions and felt a bit left
behind. He suddenly realized that he didn’t know what to do: “What

about me? Shouldn’t I do something too?”

Zhou Zhi and Lin Aike looked at him together, and upon seeing his extremely
handsome face, both of them couldn’t help but show blatant jealousy.

Lin Aike: “Ugh, I’m so annoyed. How can a guy like you be even more
good-looking than me?”

Zhou Zhi: “You don’t need to do anything. Just let your face be there,
and Sheng Quan will definitely be attracted to you.”

Wang Zheng suddenly realized this and became even more frustrated.

This was the first time they had encountered such a great opportunity to
curry favor, although it was evident that Sheng Quan was shallow, she didn’t
play any dirty tricks on them or say any oily words. At most, she would just
hold a cup of milk tea, smiling as she watched them exercise and shoot scenes.
Initially, they were a bit cautious, but after spending a few days together,
they realized that Sheng Quan was actually very easy to talk to, so they all
became more proactive in trying to get close to her.

Of course, their eagerness was also encouraged and instigated by their
respective companies and agents. Lin Aike was fine; after all, she had been in
the entertainment industry for some time and knew what to do without her
agent’s instructions.

Zhou Zhi felt a bit embarrassed, but with his agent’s constant reminders
like, “With such a big thigh in front of you, aren’t you trying to defy
the heavens by not embracing it?” combined with his genuine fondness for
Sheng Quan, the situation somehow ended up with him and Lin Aike vying for
favor.

As for Wang Zheng, the guy who could easily outshine the two of them with
just his face, neither of them wanted to comment on him.

Sheng Quan was still unaware of the actors’ fervent desire to impress her.
She was genuinely happy at the moment. Mr. Wang was indeed a seasoned player in
the entertainment industry, and almost every word he said was valuable.

Not only was Sheng Quan eagerly learning, but even Yu Xiangwan was silently
memorizing.

Although Yu Xiangwan knew a lot, he had never held any good positions
before, so there were still many things he lacked, especially regarding the
unspoken rules that only higher-ups knew about.

Mr. Wang didn’t mind Sheng Quan absorbing knowledge and experience from him.
Since they had developed a relationship now, if Sheng Quan thrived, he would
surely benefit too.

When he heard that Sheng Quan’s company was recruiting management positions,
Mr. Wang’s eyes lit up. This was a great opportunity to return a favor!

He immediately rummaged through his memory bank. To his surprise, he found
one:

“Gu Zhao, I don’t know if Sheng Quan has heard of him.”

Sheng Quan had a vague impression, but couldn’t recall specifics. However,
she could confirm that she had been learning about the entertainment industry
since she arrived here, but hadn’t come across the name Gu Zhao, so he should
have appeared in the book “Starlight.”

She assumed an attitude of eager listening, and Mr. Wang’s desire to confide
was met with a positive response. He happily continued: “Gu Zhao used to
be the Chief Operating Officer of Wansheng. When Wansheng rose to prominence,
he was kicked out of the management. This matter caused quite a stir in our
small circle at the time.”

Sheng Quan’s focus was on: “So, does this mean he’s very capable?”

“He’s very capable.” Mr. Wang’s face was filled with regret:
“Wansheng wouldn’t be where it is today without him. The previous company
I held shares in, Yushuo, suffered a loss at Gu Zhao’s hands.”

Sheng Quan nodded. As for why she was recommending someone she had a
conflict with, she could understand. First, since Gu Zhao was capable, if Mr.
Wang recommended him to her and things worked out, not only would Gu Zhao owe
him a favor, but she would too.

Secondly, although Yushuo had suffered losses, strictly speaking, it wasn’t
under Gu Zhao’s control but under Wansheng’s management. Sheng Quan had seen a
lot of gossip about the conflicts and competitions between Yushuo and Wansheng.
Now that Gu Zhao was no longer with Wansheng and even had a grudge against
them, Mr. Wang, as a shareholder of Yushuo, naturally welcomed the rise of
their enemy.

Tsk tsk, truly a sly old fox, killing multiple birds with one stone, making
his little calculations ring out.

But she didn’t mind. If this Gu Zhao was indeed a rare talent, she would
gladly accept the favor.

Seeing her interest, Sheng Quan quickly pointed out the downsides:
“However, Gu Zhao, as a person, is famous for being ruthless,
cold-hearted, prioritizing interests above all else, like a robot, and he
always seeks revenge if wronged.”

He glanced around, making sure there were no outsiders, then leaned in close
to Sheng Quan’s ear, demonstrating the gesture of “I’m about to spill some
big gossip”:

“Although it seemed like Wansheng kicked him out, only a few people
knew that Gu Zhao had inflicted heavy damage on them before leaving. I’m not
sure of the specifics, but the losses he caused Wansheng were at least this
much.”

Mr. Wang, in a mysterious manner, gestured to Sheng Quan: “You see, he
almost destroyed half of Wansheng’s foundation with this move. At that time,
Wansheng hadn’t even decided to kick him out yet, but he was already plotting.
He acted without hesitation. That’s what I mean by ruthless.”

Sheng Quan’s eyes sparkled with interest: “He’s indeed talented if he
can turn the tables on Wansheng in such a situation.”

She had done similar things herself, but not as beautifully as Gu Zhao.
However, she had made it clear to her former boss after being used and then
discarded. Not every mule could be skinned alive after diligently helping him
earn profits.

Mr. Wang’s perspective was different from Sheng Quan’s rich experience as a
worker. He was purely looking at it from the employer’s perspective:

“He’s talented, but with his ruthlessness towards his former employer,
it does make some companies hesitant to approach him. If he can’t be controlled
properly, he might turn against his master.”

Sheng Quan took in his words and nodded: “I see. How about this, can
you arrange for us to meet? I’ll have a look first.”

Mr. Wang immediately agreed: “No problem. How about this, aren’t you
going back to the Shanghai soon? When you get back, I’ll host a tea ceremony
for you. You can sit down and talk, see if it’s suitable, how does that
sound?”

Sheng Quan sincerely said some polite words: “Okay, let’s do that.
You’re really good to me. You can even help me solve such big problems. I’ll
remember your kindness.”

“Hey! We’re all friends here. Me, I can sum myself up in just two
words: righteous and loyal!”

Mr. Wang thought to himself that he wasn’t stupid. With such a great
networking opportunity being delivered to his doorstep, it would be foolish not
to develop a good relationship with this “small Sheng Quan,” even if
she’s a bit young. If it weren’t for the fact that Sheng Quan was a young lady
and not suitable, he would really want to spend the next month getting to know her
better.

This little Sheng Quan could have one building today and ten tomorrow. So,
of course, it was important to nurture their relationship while Sheng Quan only
had one building.

Mr. Wang’s body might be old, but his mind wasn’t. He was still full of
vitality. He seized the opportunity, and with a silver tongue, he talked to
Sheng Quan about a bunch of industry gossip. After all, it’s widely known that
exchanging gossip is the best and fastest way to bond.

So, Sheng Quan listened to a lot of gossip.

She heard about who’s a fraud you should never trust, whose investment
skills are good but whose conduct isn’t, and how that famous XX is actually
socially anxious. She also heard about which director is more stable, which
company seems prosperous but is actually just a shell waiting for someone to
take over, and so on.

Sheng Quan listened intently. It couldn’t be denied that gossip is truly
enjoyable. However, the variety of gossip also indirectly proved that this
industry is indeed chaotic.

She really needed a Chief Operating Officer who was outstanding in ability
and could manage the big picture.

As for herself? She didn’t even major in this field. She would do whatever
she was good at. Sheng Quan hadn’t become blindly arrogant to the point where
she thought she was stronger than professionals who had fought their way up in
this industry.

Moreover, while the title of Chief Operating Officer, also known as
President, sounded prestigious, real Presidents couldn’t spend their days
leisurely dating like in novels.

Essentially, Presidents worked for Chairmen. Although most companies would
offer shares, true Presidents in companies at the development stage were very
busy!

Even if it didn’t seem like they were doing much, their minds were always
occupied with important matters. Sheng Quan had indeed seen many impressive
Presidents, but they all had the “Three S’s”: sleep less, have less
time, and have less hair.

There’s no way around it; there’s just too much to worry about.

So, Sheng Quan never even thought about becoming a President herself. She
hadn’t lost her mind. She had money and leisure now. If she didn’t enjoy life,
why bother working?

After affirming her thoughts, Sheng Quan happily went to do a spa with Lin
Aike. She didn’t even need to pay; Mr. Wang, who also felt the need for
maintenance, paid in advance.

Of course, they were in separate rooms. Mr. Wang was always quite tactful in
this regard. If Sheng Quan weren’t leaving for Shanghai tomorrow, he might have
even wanted to get her a membership card and load it with tens of thousands.

Although he didn’t get one for Sheng Quan in the end, he did get one for Lin
Aike.

He smiled and said, “Sheng Quan is leaving for Shanghai, so I won’t get
one for you. But Aike, when you’re not busy filming, come here a few more times.
Taking care of yourself is the best way to film in the best condition.”

Lin Aike was pleasantly surprised and somewhat hesitant to accept.

Even if she was silly, she could tell that Mr. Wang only got her a card
because he wanted to please Sheng Quan. At that moment, she looked uncertainly
at Sheng Quan.

Sheng Quan naturally stepped forward, blocking Lin Aike behind her, and her
tone softened, “Shouldn’t you go back to rest now?”

All her body language conveyed one message: if Mr. Wang really wanted to do
something to Lin Aike, then don’t blame her for getting angry.

Shaken by the sudden realization of his attraction, Mr. Wang immediately
snapped out of it, “Oops! Look at me, getting older makes you easily
distracted. I’m not as young as you guys, after all, not from the same
generation as Sheng Quan and Teacher Lin. You should both rest early. I’ll
leave first.”

Mr. Wang also felt a bit bitter in his heart. He indeed liked pretty girls.
After all, in the entertainment industry, as long as you’re not married, nobody
says anything if you change girlfriends every month. It’s just mutual benefit,
after all.

But he really hadn’t planned to do anything just now. He couldn’t help but
glance because Lin Aike was too beautiful. Maybe he looked a bit perverted
because of his appearance.

Little Sheng Quan wouldn’t think he’s the scum who takes advantage of pretty
girls by force, right? Right, he also gave Lin Aike a spa membership card,
which seemed even more suspicious.

On his conscience, he focused all his attention on how to please Little
Sheng Quan. He really just glanced subconsciously just now. It’s just that the
spa was too comfortable, and it made his brain turn to mush.

Mr. Wang regretted it so much that he wanted to slap himself. However, that
didn’t stop him from walking away quickly, as if he were fleeing for his life.

From start to finish, he didn’t look at Lin Aike again, afraid that Sheng
Quan would think he had ulterior motives.

Seeing Mr. Wang’s reaction, Lin Aike felt slightly relieved, but her heart was
still pounding uncontrollably, and her body was trembling slightly.

It’s not that she’s timid, but being in this circle, she had seen and heard
too much.

It wasn’t until Sheng Quan held her hand that she slowly calmed down. She
belatedly regretted her exaggerated reaction just now, “I’m sorry, Sheng
Quan… Did I affect your cooperation discussion?”

Was she too extreme? Mr. Wang just glanced at her.

“No, your reaction was normal,” Sheng Quan’s tone was annoyed.
“If it were me, I would also be unhappy. Next time, if I’m not around,
just call me if something similar happens.”

Listening to her annoyed tone, Lin Aike felt relieved.

Yeah, Sheng Quan is also a girl. She could understand her. She wouldn’t say
she was too extreme or couldn’t take a joke like others might.

She wasn’t scared anymore, nodded heavily, and smiled warmly, “Yeah! I
got it, thanks Sheng Quan, love you!”

Sheng Quan was sweetened by this big smile, “Okay! Let’s go, let’s grab
some late-night snacks, treat yourself and indulge a bit.”

The two of them happily ate a bunch of late-night snacks. Mr. Wang couldn’t
sleep well all night, afraid that Sheng Quan would have some opinions about him
because of this incident. The next day, he hurriedly followed Sheng Quan back
to Shanghai, and subtly expressed on the plane that he really didn’t have any
thoughts. All he cared about was money, nothing else.

To quickly win over Little Sheng Quan, as soon as they landed, Mr. Wang
promptly contacted Gu Zhao, trying to mend some impression points in front of
Sheng Quan by setting up this connection.

When Sheng Quan arrived at the tea house, she immediately spotted the man
sitting there.

He sat there, exuding an aura of unfriendliness, dressed in a sharp suit
similar to Yu Xiangwan’s, but with an extra touch of coldness.

As he looked up, his light gray eyes glanced over, and Sheng Quan mentally
exclaimed, “Wow.”

Which CEO looks this handsome?

Her gaze couldn’t help but move slightly upward, and what was even more
unexpected was…

—He even had hair.